Universal container for a vehicle trunk

ABSTRACT

Container ( 1 ) for a vehicle trunk (B), comprising a base ( 2 ) and a plurality of side walls ( 4, 5, 6, 7 ), rotatably connected to the base so as to be movable between a lying position and an operative position at which, jointly to the base, they define a compartment ( 12 ).

The present invention refers to an universal container apt to be housedin the trunk of a vehicle, and in particular of a car.

In trunks of vehicles such as cars, vans and the like, the so-calledmotor vehicle trunks included, items of various shape, type and natureare generally housed.

However, a well-known drawback occurring during the vehicle ride lies inthe fact that the items in the trunk tend to move, in particular beingdisplaced from their original location, interfering the ones with theothers and/or turning upside-down. This drawback is unacceptable in casesome or all of the carried items be delicate and/or fragile, as thoseare at risk of serious damage induced by said movements. Moreover, itemsshifting in the trunk may distract a vehicle driver, in some casespossibly unbalancing the vehicle trim.

The provision, in some vehicles, of holding belts and/or of itemcontainment webbings fails to solve all the drawbacks mentioned above.In fact, first of all such belts and webbings are apt to hold items ofreduced encumbrance and mass only. Moreover, such holding means of theknown art are fixedly preset in the vehicle trunk, typically at the sidewalls thereof. Hence, often items are anyhow free to move at the widercenter portion of the trunk.

In the light of the above, a demand subsists for means for holding itemshoused in a vehicle trunk, which be alternative to those known to theart and allowing to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above.

Hence, object of the present invention is a container, apt to be housedin a vehicle trunk and allowing to meet this need.

This object is attained by a container according to claim 1.

The present invention provides some relevant advantages. The mainadvantage lies in the fact that the container of the invention allows asafe retaining of items of any shape, mass and encumbrance. Moreover,the container base may be blocked onto the trunk floor at any oneposition, providing numberless viable operative configurations.Additionally, by virtue of the rotatable connection between the sidewall(s) and the base, the container of the invention may assume areduced encumbrance configuration in which the side wall or walls belying, substantially overlappable and parallel to the base andoptionally folded thereon.

Other advantages, features, and the operation steps of the presentinvention will be made apparent in the following detailed description ofsome embodiments thereof, given by way of example and not for limitativepurposes. It will be made reference to the figures of the annexeddrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a partially sectional perspective view of a firstembodiment of the container according to the present invention, in whichthe side walls are in a lying configuration;

FIG. 1A shows an enlarged detail of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 1B shows a sectional view of the container of FIG. 1, taken alongline A-A of the latter;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 in anoperative configuration;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 in anotheroperative configuration;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the container of the invention in aminimal encumbrance configuration;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 installed ona car and filled with a plurality of items; and

FIG. 6 shows another perspective view of the container of FIG. 1installed on a car in a further operative configuration.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a container according to the presentinvention is generally indicated by 1.

Firstly, the container 1 comprises a base 2, which in the presentembodiment has a substantially rectangular shape when observed in a planview.

The base 2 is apt to be reversibly blocked onto a resting surface,typically a flat floor, of a vehicle trunk, and in particular of a car.In the present embodiment, the container 1 is conceived to be employedon trunks having a floor lined with carpet or the like. Hence, suchblocking of the base 2 onto the floor is attained by reversiblefastening means, in particular one or more Velcro® elements 3 appliedonto the base 2 at the bottom face thereof.

Although in the annexed figures a single Velcro® element 3 has beendepicted centrally applied onto the bottom face of the base 2, saidreversible fastening means can advantageously consist of one or moreVelcro® strips, applied along the short or long sides of the base toattain a firmer grip.

Peripherally to the base 2, and in particular at the entire perimeterthereof, there are rotatably connected a plurality of side walls and inparticular a first wall 4, a second wall 5, a third wall 6 and a fourthwall 7, each wall being connected, at the longer side of the end edgethereof, to a respective perimeter side of the base 2.

The walls 4, 5, 6 and 7 all exhibit a substantially rectangular shapewhen observed in a plan view. Moreover, the walls 4-7 are equal by twos,defining the side faces of a parallelepiped having the base 2.

In the present embodiment, said rotatable connection of the side walls4-7 to the base 2 is obtained by a peripheral seam 21.

The container 1 further comprises reversible blocking means 8 apt toblock the side walls 4-7 in an operative position, i.e. raisedsubstantially orthogonal to the base 2. In the present embodiment, themeans 8 consists of reversible engaging means located in correspondenceof contiguous pairs of side walls 4-7 of said plurality.

In particular, as it is shown in greater detail in FIG. 1A, such means 8is implemented by pairs of complementary Velcro® elements 81 and 82fastened sideways on a respective pair of adjacent side walls, thesecond wall 5 and the third wall 6 in the example of FIG. 1A.

In particular, in the present embodiment each element 81 is shaped as aflap, which may extend along the entire side of the respective side wallor merely along a portion thereof.

Moreover, in order to make the connection between adjacent side wallsfirmer, snap fasteners, e.g. in metal, may be associated with or replacesaid complementary Velcro® elements.

Further referring to FIG. 1, preferably, at the inner face of at leastone of the side walls, in particular the second and the fourth wall 5and 7 in the present example, the container 1 comprises elasticallystrainable means for holding an item, in particular elastic belts 9.

As it is summarily sketched in FIG. 1B, in the present embodiment boththe base 2 and the side walls 4-7 comprise a polycarbonate honeycombcore and a polyester outer coating. The base 2 and the walls 4-7 providean inner lining and an edge ribbon onto the outer edges of the polyesterwalls. Always according to a preferred embodiment, such base 2 and sidewalls 4-7 have a thickness comprised in a range of about 1÷5 mm, evenmore preferably equal to about 3 mm.

Of course, the outer coating may be made of different materials, even ofgreater value, like e.g. cloth, alcantara or natural leather, to meetthe finishing standards of the vehicle to be equipped, with the optionof branding the outer as well as the inner walls.

Moreover, additionally referring to FIG. 2, the container 1 alsocomprises closure means 10 applied at two opposite side walls, inparticular the first and the third wall 4 and 6 in the present example.Such closure means 10 are for blocking the container 1 in a minimalencumbrance configuration, shown in FIG. 4, in which the side walls 4-7are completely folded onto the base 2 so that the container 1 iscompletely flattened on itself. Also such closure means 10 areimplemented by two complementary Velcro® elements 101 and 102, eachapplied onto the outer face of a respective side wall of said twoopposite walls, in particular first and third wall 4, 6, in anarrangement such that the two elements 101 and 102 are mutuallyengageable when said faces are overlapped in the minimal encumbranceconfiguration of the container 1.

Referring now to FIG. 3, always in the present example, the container 1also comprises a partition wall 11 that is reversibly connectiblebetween two side walls of the container 1 in the abovementionedoperative configuration, and in particular between the first and thethird wall 4 and 6. In the present embodiment, also such reversibleconnection is implemented by reversible engaging means, and inparticular by two first Velcro® elements 111 and 112 of the same type,each fastened on a respective side flap 113 or 114 of the partition 11,and by second Velcro® elements 41 and 61 complementary to the first onesand fastened each at an intermediate position on a respective first orthird side wall 4 and 6. As it is shown in FIG. 1, in the presentexample several second elements 41 and 61 are fastened on each side wall4 and 6, thereby allowing to set the partition 11 in different operativepositions, or even to concomitantly use more than one partition.

It will be understood that, according to a variant embodiment, saidreversible engaging means provide that on each side wall involved, inthis case the first and the third side wall 4 and 6, instead of saidsecond Velcro® elements 41 or 61 there be applied a single Velcro® stripextending parallelly to the base. This variant simplifies theimplementation modes of the container of the invention, concomitantlyanyhow allowing to set the partition 11 into different operativepositions or to use more than one partition at the same time.

Hereinafter, the operation modes of the container 1 will be illustrated,referring also to FIGS. 5 and 6. As mentioned above, the container 1 isapt to be housed in the trunk of any one vehicle, indicated by B inFIGS. 5 and 6, and in particular of a car.

First of all, the container 1 may be provided to end users in form of akit comprising a main body, made of the base 2 and of the side walls 4-7connected thereto, and of one or more partitions 11.

The container 1 may advantageously be packed with the side walls 4-7folded onto the base 2 in the abovementioned minimal encumbranceconfiguration of FIG. 4, and with the closure means 10 of first andthird wall 4 and 6 mutually engaged. It has to be remarked that FIG. 4relates to a variant embodiment of the invention in which the side walls4-7 have a greater height with respect to the container of the variantembodiment of FIG. 1.

The container 1 may be put away in the car, e.g. in the trunk itself, insuch a minimal encumbrance configuration and opened only needwise. Itwill be appreciated that, even in the folded minimal encumbranceconfiguration, the fastening means 3 may be used to reversibly block thebase 2 onto the trunk floor P, onto the backrest, or merely rested onthe luggage rack.

In case items to be retained in a fixed position during the ride are tobe carried, the container 1 is brought to an operative configuration. Tothis end, the base 2 is fastened, at a chosen location onto the trunkfloor, by the reversible fastening means 3. Then, all or some of theside walls 4-7 are raised in order to bring them to said operativeposition, i.e. substantially orthogonal to the base 2. Adjacent wallsare blocked in this position by said Velcro® elements 8.

The case in which all the side walls 4-7 have been rotated into anoperative position is shown in FIG. 5. As it is illustrated therein, insuch a case the four walls 4-7 and the base 2 define a substantiallyparallelepiped-shaped compartment 12. The latter, given the slidabilityof the partition wall 11 that is connected to the side walls 4 and 6 bythe related Velcro( elements 111, 112, 41 and 61, may also bepartitioned into two hemi-compartments of variable width, so as to holdin place different items independently and separately the one from theother.

Inside the compartment 12 there may be housed items of any naturewhatsoever. In particular, a suitcase, a bag and/or a package may becentrally arranged within the compartment 12, whereas other moredelicate items, like e.g. a bottle or a container in glass in generalmay be blocked against the second or the third side wall 5 or 7 by theelastic belts 9.

Of course, elastic holding means like said elastic belts 9 could beapplied even onto the partition wall 11.

The case in which only some of the side walls 4-7 are rotated in anoperative position is shown, of course purely by way of example, in FIG.6. In the example of FIG. 6 the first, third and fourth wall, 4, 6 and 7respectively, are actually rotated in a position orthogonal to the base2, whereas the second wall 5 is rotated externally to the base 2, beingadjacent and substantially coplanar thereto. In this type of operativeconfiguration, the container 1 can hold in place an item of largedimensions, e.g. a suitcase.

For an even more sizeable object to be transported, only two contiguouswalls may be brought to an operative position, thereby providing agreater useful containment area.

At the end of the employ, e.g. at the end of the ride, the container 1may be brought back to its initial minimal encumbrance configuration. Ofcourse, the container 1 may also be removed from the vehicle and findadditional uses as item holder outside of the trunk.

It will be understood that the present invention is susceptible ofseveral embodiments alternative to the hereto-described preferred one,some of which will briefly be illustrated hereinafter with reference tothe sole aspects differentiating it from the hereto-considered preferredembodiment.

First of all, the base and the side walls of the container may be madeintegral the one to the others, and said rotatable connection may beobtained by suitable creasing lines.

According to another variant, the base and the side walls of thecontainer may consist of distinct bodies, e.g. plastics material cores,coated with a common foldable lining implementing said rotatableconnection between the base and the walls.

Moreover, such rotatable connection between the base and the side wallsmay be obtained by conventional hinges, e.g. of metallic type. Saidhinges could also incorporate means for blocking the walls themselves inan erected, i.e., operative, position, hence with no need to provide theVelcro® elements 81, 82 of the abovedescribed preferred embodiment.

Furthermore, one or more side walls may be rotatably connected to thebase not necessarily at the periphery thereof, but at an intermediateportion thereof as well, so as to define plural item-retainingcompartments.

According to a further variant, the blocking of the base to the trunkfloor may be obtained by means alternative to the abovedescribedreversible fastening means.

It will also be understood that, in a simplified variant embodiment, thecontainer of the invention provides a single side wall rotatablyconnected to the base.

It will presently be appreciated that the container of the invention maybe produced in an extremely simple and cost-effective manner.Furthermore, it should be pointed out that the cost of the invention maybe partially or entirely met by the elimination of the currentcar-equipping devices, like webbings, hooks, metal eyelets or the like,which to date weigh on the production costs due both to the intrinsicvalue and to the on-board mounting thereof.

The container of the preferred embodiment and of the aboveillustratedvariants is also durable, requires no maintenance and is easilycleanable.

Moreover, by virtue of the option of folding it in said minimalencumbrance configuration, the container is easy to transport.

Additionally, with the selection of the aboveindicated materials, or ofmechanically equivalent ones, the container is very light-weight, and inparticular, in the shape and dimensions as exemplarily reported, of a<800 g weight. However, in general the container is susceptible of beingmade of materials water-repellent, non-toxic and meeting currentautomotive standards.

It will also be appreciated that the container of the invention isextremely versatile. In particular, as mentioned above, it proves usefulin numberless locations within the trunk, and it may also be used tocarry out of the car the items housed therein, avoiding breaking of theload. Moreover, it may also be used on different cars, even on thosehaving a naked trunk floor. In this latter case, the container could beblocked to the trunk itself by straps or elastic bands.

The container of the invention may also be used locating it on the frontpassenger seat to house items, files or refreshments to be consumedduring the ride.

Moreover, the container may be located in the trunk of a car having areclined rear seat.

The container of the invention may also be manufactured in differentdimensions, to adjust to any type of surface, trunk, transported items,and vehicle.

The container of the invention may also be used on a floating vehicle,e.g. a boat, optionally prearranging a carpeted housing seat forfastening it.

The present invention has been hereto described with reference topreferred embodiments thereof. It is understood that other embodimentsmay exist, all falling within the concept of the same invention, and allcomprised within the protective scope of the claims hereinafter.

1-14. (canceled)
 15. A container (1), in particular apt to be housed ina vehicle trunk (B), comprising: a base (2), apt to be blocked onto aresting surface (P) of the trunk; a plurality of side walls (4, 5, 6,7), each one rotatably connected at a respective end edge thereof tosaid base (2) so as to be movable between a lying position, wherein itis substantially parallel to said base, and an operative position,wherein it is substantially orthogonal to said base and in which thewalls of said plurality define, together with said base, at least onecompartment (12) for housing objects; reversible blocking means (8), aptto block each wall of said plurality in said operative position; and atleast one partition wall, characterized in that said at least onepartition wall (11) is reversibly connectible and disconnectable betweentwo side walls (4, 6) of said plurality when such walls are in saidoperative position thereby being, in said operative configuration ofsaid two side walls, reversibly connectible and disconnectable to theremainder of the container.
 16. The container (1) according to claim 1,wherein said reversible blocking means comprises reversible engagingmeans (8), located in correspondence of one or more pairs of contiguousside walls (4, 5; 5, 6; 6, 7; 7, 4) of said plurality, for blocking thewalls of the pair the one with the other in said operative position. 17.The container (1) according to claim 2, wherein said reversible engagingmeans (8) comprises complementary Velcro® elements (81, 82) applied ateach one of said pairs of contiguous side walls (4, 5; 5, 6; 6, 7; 7,4).
 18. The container (1) according to claim 1, comprising complementaryVelcro® elements (111, 112, 41, 61) fastened to said partition wall (11)and to said two side walls (4, 6) for implementing said mutualreversible connection.
 19. The container (1) according to claim 1,wherein said base (2) has a substantially rectangular contour in a planview and wherein said plurality of side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) comprisesfour walls, each one rotatably connected to said base at a rectangleside.
 20. The container (1) according to claim 1, comprising at leastone side wall (4, 5, 6, 7) rotatably connected to said base (2) at anintermediate portion of the latter.
 21. The container (1) according toclaim 1, wherein said rotatable connection between at least one sidewall (4, 5, 6, 7) and said base (2) is obtained by a peripheral seam(21).
 22. The container (1) according to claim 1, comprising reversiblefastening means (3) for blocking said base (2) onto the resting surface(P) of the trunk (B), located at a bottom face thereof.
 23. Thecontainer (1) according to claim 8, wherein said reversible fasteningmeans comprises at least one Velcro® element (3).
 24. The container (1)according claim 1, comprising elastically strainable means (9) forretaining an item, applied at least at said at least one side wall (4,5, 6, 7).
 25. The container (1) according to claim 1, comprising closuremeans (10) apt to block the container (1) in a minimal encumbranceconfiguration in which the side wall or walls (4, 5, 6, 7) are rotatedso as to be folded on said base (2).
 26. The container (1) according toclaim 11, comprising at least two opposite side walls (4, 6), andwherein said closure means (10) comprises a pair of complementaryVelcro® elements (101, 102), each one fastened to a respective side wallof said two opposite walls.
 27. The container (1) according to claim 1,wherein said base (2) and/or said at least one side wall (4, 5, 6, 7)comprises a polycarbonate honeycomb core and a polyester coating. 28.The container (1) according to claim 1, wherein said base (2) and saidat least one side wall (4, 5, 6, 7) are implemented as distinct bodiescoated by a common foldable lining implementing said rotatableconnection between the base and the walls.